11/1/2018 A Glossary of Sitting | Starfish Therapies

Starfish Therapies
April 27, 2009 REPORT THIS AD

A Glossary of Sitting

Filed under: Developmental Milestones — Starfish Therapies @ 3:38 pm

Tags: gross, gross motor development, kids, moms, Motor Smart Kids, sitting, Starfish Therapies, w-sitting

Based on the questions I got from my last post, I decided to create a glossary of sitting!

W-sitting: As you may or may not of read in my last post “Why is W-Sitting a Four Letter Word?” I am not a
fan of this sitting position. You will know your child is sitting this way when you see their bottom on the floor
and their knees bent with their feet on the outside of their hips. If anyone has questions as to why I don’t like
this position please refer back to the before mentioned post!

Kneeling: This is a position that can often get confused with w-sitting. In fact I often have parents get
concerned when their child sits like this. The difference between kneeling and w-sitting is that when kneeling,
your child will be sitting with their bottom on their feet, not on the floor. Their feet will be underneath them, not
on either side of their hips! The only time I get concerned with this position is if a child has tight hamstrings and
this is the only position they will sit in. You will notice that they tend not to sit in the following positions.

Side Sitting: I actually really like this position. It is when your childs knees are bent and their feet are both
going toward the same side of their body. I like this position because it maintains flexibility of their hips without
putting them at risk. This position also forces your child to use their trunk muscles. Just make sure they are
switching between having their feet to the left and their feet to the right!
https://starfishtherapies.wordpress.com/2009/04/27/a-glossary-of-sitting/ 1/10
11/1/2018 A Glossary of Sitting | Starfish Therapies

Short Sitting: This one is pretty easy. Its how your child sits on a chair or a stool or a step, etc. The best short
sitting is when they have their feet touching the floor so that their knees and hips are bent at right angles. If you
really want them to develop their trunk muscles let them practice sitting without a back rest so they can’t relax
into a slump!

Tailor Sitting: Popularly known as ‘criss cross applesauce’ and one of the more favored ways of sitting. Prior
to our world becoming PC it was known as ‘Indian Sitting.’ I say this only because I have found very few
people who know what Tailor Sitting is when I say it. Basically your child’s bottom will be sitting on the floor
with their feet crossed in front of them. This is generally the ideal sitting position for circle time and other floor
based learning/playing at school.

Ring Sitting: Very similar to tailor sitting except that your child’s legs are not crossed in front of them, but
rather form a ring with their feet touching to complete the circle. This is a more stable position than tailor sitting
especially when children are first learning to sit.

Long Sitting: This position is great for keeping your kids hamstrings stretched out. It is when they are sitting
with their legs straight out in front of them. If your child is not able to sit up tall in this position or they have to

https://starfishtherapies.wordpress.com/2009/04/27/a-glossary-of-sitting/ 2/10
11/1/2018 A Glossary of Sitting | Starfish Therapies

constantly lean back on their hands, it may be a sign that their hamstrings are tight.

I hope this brief description of various sitting positions was helpful. Even though w-sitting is the only one I
have said is bad, your child should be moving in and out of any of these sitting positions easily and not staying
in one spot for endless periods of time!

ADVERTISEMENT

Advertisements

REPORT THIS AD REPORT THIS AD

https://starfishtherapies.wordpress.com/2009/04/27/a-glossary-of-sitting/ 3/10
11/1/2018 A Glossary of Sitting | Starfish Therapies

Like
2 bloggers like this.

Related

Why is W-sitting a Four Letter Word? Why is w-sitting being promoted in W-Sitting Revisited
In "Developmental Milestones" advertising? In "Developmental Milestones"
In "Developmental Milestones"

Comments (26)

26 Comments »

1.

VERY informative! Thank you for sharing your knowledge …I will now be observing my daughters and
their various sitting positions with better insight!!

Comment by Shaina — May 1, 2009 @ 3:51 pm | Reply

2.

[…] up in the womb for 9 months. You can also as they get older encourage them to long sit (see A
Glossary of Sitting to figure out what this is) which is a functional way of keeping hamstrings at an
optimal length. […]

Pingback by Strategies For Stretching « Starfish Therapies — August 2, 2009 @ 8:57 pm | Reply

3.

[…] 5. A Glossary of Sitting […]

Pingback by Top 10 Blog Posts of 2011 « Starfish Therapies — December 31, 2011 @ 4:16 am | Reply

4.

I W-sat my whole life (age 51) and never even heard of this! I am having a difficult time believing it is so
inherently dangerous to our children since I have some issues with joints, but my daughter has completely
opposite ones, yet we sat in the same positions. Granted we didn’t use W-sitting as the ONLy choice, but
definitely the dominant one.

I am bowlegged and duck-footed (toes point out -well, I’ve self-corrected and walk with toes forward, but
ankles curved seriously inward – however, I do not kick my own ankles this way!). My daughter is more
knock-kneed and pigeon-toed, like my mother, who NEVER W-sat (she thought it looked painful, but
figured I was comfortable and grew fine.) I have “double-jointed” hips, my daughter does not – she had a
knee-devlopment issue that resemebled Osgood-Slaughters (spelling?) disease, but that my Father had and
it’s inherited in the family – he was very bowlegged, however. I was a klutz – fell off the sidewalk while
walking, but rode my bike at 4 and climbed to the top of the climbing set at 1-1/2. My daughter was less
https://starfishtherapies.wordpress.com/2009/04/27/a-glossary-of-sitting/ 4/10
11/1/2018 A Glossary of Sitting | Starfish Therapies

of a klutz and turned carwheels at 4 without trianing or assitance, rode her bike at 4 and ice-skated doing
spins at 5, rode horses at 7 and did very well at it. She also swing dances and bikes, but still has some knee
issues.

We both also sat in a position that I do not see listed and wonder what the consensus on that one is now
(which I still do regularly) – that’s like Indian-style/Tailor-sitting but with the feet on top. That is also very
comfortable to me still. I do not have core stability problems and can specifically recall doing a full turso
twist and picking up toys directly behind me from a W-sit; leaned all the way to the floor in front (and
back) to play with things and people; and reached crossbody in this position to play with both hands on
one side. I am quite ambidextrous and so is my daughter.

So, I guess what I’m saying/asking is – is W-sitting really so terrible if the child has no developmental
issues? The tone of this article is that it is the bane of a child’s existence and should be outlawed at all
costs. I’ve seen a couple of other articles tonight that are more moderate in their expression. I’m sure that
if my daughter had not walked at 9-1/2 months I might have had questions and concerns, but she has done
well. ALso, she never crawled on her knees, which I am now told is a sign of a devlopmental disorder –
she “spider crawled” as I labelled it – on hands and feet only. She began this at 5 mos and was very quick
in movement. I think she didn’t crawl on her knees because she has “floating kneecaps” like I do – but this
is from birth, not from the W-sit or any other bad posturing – it is definitely inherited through the
generations – although it may explain why we like certain odd sitting positions – I dont’ know.

Just trying to educate myself since my experience has been so very different from what is described here.
Not trying to pick on or disregard your advise. I appreciate any thoughts you might have. Thanks!

Comment by Allison — April 24, 2012 @ 4:36 am | Reply

5.

[…] Make sure kids hamstrings stay flexible. Its a lot easier to keep them flexible than to stretch them
later. When hamstrings are tight it can tip our pelvis backwards so that it flattens our low back spine. To
help with keeping hamstrings flexible have kids avoid w-sitting and long periods of kneeling as these will
both shorten the hamstrings. They should sit in a variety of positions such as ‘criss cross’ or with their
legs straight out in front of them. Here are some different sitting positions. […]

Pingback by Ideas for Helping Kids Develop Better Posture « Starfish Therapies — May 21, 2012 @
12:05 pm | Reply

6.

As a child doing ballet, my ballet teacher always made us W sit as she believed it trained our legs and feet
to be able to face sideways more when doing the standing positions. I was knock kneed as a child and I
think the W sit helped me some… But not sure if it has caused any permanent damage. I am 34 and
although my 2 daughters are doing ballet, they have never been taught to sit in the W sit fashion that I was
taught.

Comment by homeschoolsojourn — August 5, 2012 @ 10:24 am | Reply

7. […] Make sure kids hamstrings stay flexible. Its a lot easier to keep them flexible than to stretch them
later. When hamstrings are tight it can tip our pelvis backwards so that it flattens our low back spine. To
help with keeping hamstrings flexible have kids avoid w-sitting and long periods of kneeling as these will
both shorten the hamstrings. They should sit in a variety of positions such as ‘criss cross’ or with their
legs straight out in front of them. Here are some different sitting positions. […]

https://starfishtherapies.wordpress.com/2009/04/27/a-glossary-of-sitting/ 5/10
11/1/2018 A Glossary of Sitting | Starfish Therapies

Pingback by PT Corner: Ideas for Helping Kids Develop Better Posture — August 27, 2012 @ 7:07 pm |
Reply

8.

Studying for my NBCOT exam…great post! Thanks

Comment by Emily — December 5, 2012 @ 8:40 pm | Reply

Thanks and good luck!

Comment by Starfish Therapies — December 5, 2012 @ 8:53 pm | Reply

9.

[…] 7. A Glossary of Sitting […]

Pingback by Top Ten Blog Posts of 2012 « Starfish Therapies — December 31, 2012 @ 7:00 am | Reply

10.

learn from my mistake. i thought indian sitting was cool and i moved a lot so i never bough a chair and
table at sat on my 2” foam pad reading from my laptop for the last 15 years. my left foot was always
tucked under my right leg. it went to sleep and i uncrossed my legs thousands of times a year. recently
cramps got worse and crept up my left calf. i dont know what to do. i think my nerves are shot. be well.

Comment by giles gallo — April 6, 2013 @ 1:38 am | Reply

11.

[…] 4. A Glossary of Sitting […]

Pingback by 2013 Recap and Top Ten Posts | Starfish Therapies — January 1, 2014 @ 5:18 pm | Reply

12.

I’ve been exploring your posts…they are very helpful. My son is 7 months with some developmental
delays. He has not rolled over from tummy to back, or back to tummy. He can almost sit supported, very
supported. We are working with a physical therapist. I saw one of your post with specifics things that may
indicate there is a delay in a childs development. One, which was listed under 6 months, said something
along the lines of, “prefers to stand” or “arches back and extends to stand.” what exactly could this
indicate? My son always, always wants to stand. It is extremely difficult to get through tummy time or any
amount of time sitting. Thank you for your input

Comment by lauren tidwell — January 8, 2014 @ 6:53 pm | Reply

13.
https://starfishtherapies.wordpress.com/2009/04/27/a-glossary-of-sitting/ 6/10
11/1/2018 A Glossary of Sitting | Starfish Therapies

what are some ways to help children avoid sitting on their knees while seated at a desk in the classroom?

Comment by michelle — February 3, 2014 @ 1:09 am | Reply

14.

I know this post was a hundred years ago, but I am pleased to see someone else still commenting haha!
My daughter sits in a wide V, her legs out wide in front of her. She is a year old. We are wating for Early
Intervention to make their visit but I was wondering what your take on this position is? Love this site,
thank you!!

Comment by S — February 13, 2014 @ 12:49 am | Reply

Thanks! My guess would be that she is keeping her legs straight in order to maintain stability in
sitting. The goal would be to get her to start to be able to sit with her legs bent in a ring sit initially
and then down to tailor sitting. She may need some help with this by having someone give her a
little extra support at her legs while they are bent and slowly decreasing the support. And, the more
you keep her distracted with toys she likes, the easier it will be for you to ‘trick’ her into getting her
legs bent. Hope this helps a little!

Comment by Starfish Therapies — February 13, 2014 @ 3:02 pm | Reply

15. […] turn and stay like that, but he would immediately start to cry very intensely. Putting him into a side
sitting position also scared him a bit and he would continue to cry. He didn’t even want to have his […]

Pingback by A cranky baby? – behind the scene | The Sensory Hub — June 2, 2014 @ 6:16 pm | Reply

16.

I disagree with side sitting as an option. I’ve always sat that way and I have so much trouble with my hip
now as an adult. I can’t sit with both legs crossed because it is so uncomfortable. Since trying to fix my
side sitting, I’m just uncomfortable all the time. Now it hurts to cross both legs or to sit with my leg to the
side. I would not let your kids sit like that.

Comment by runforcandy — July 10, 2014 @ 1:10 pm | Reply

17.

[…] 5. A Glossary of Sitting […]

Pingback by Top Ten Posts of 2014 | Starfish Therapies — December 31, 2014 @ 4:50 pm | Reply

18.

What’s the one with sitting on one folded leg and leaning on the other?

Comment by peanutbutternj — May 21, 2015 @ 8:27 am | Reply

https://starfishtherapies.wordpress.com/2009/04/27/a-glossary-of-sitting/ 7/10
11/1/2018 A Glossary of Sitting | Starfish Therapies

I’m not sure I understand completely but you could be talking about tailor sitting (criss cross) or
side sitting. Hope that helps.

Comment by Starfish Therapies — May 27, 2015 @ 3:10 pm | Reply

Hi, thanks. But it’s not that one. Imagine one leg is folded and you’re sitting on it, then the
other leg is folded but vertical (with foot flat on floor), and you’re leaning against it. Is there a
name for this sit?

Comment by peanutbutternj — June 16, 2015 @ 12:15 am

19. […] W-sitting is to discourage it from the beginning. Encouraging other sitting positions such as criss-
cross, long sitting, side sitting, half kneeling or even using a small chair if the hips are tight are all good
alternatives. Being consistent with correcting as well as […]

Pingback by So….What is wrong with W-sitting? | Go-To-For-OT Blog — October 1, 2015 @ 1:50 pm |
Reply

20.

[…] 3. A Glossary of Sitting […]

Pingback by Top Ten Blog Posts of 2017 | Starfish Therapies — December 30, 2017 @ 1:10 pm | Reply

21. […] http://www.laurenwelle.com/2008/06/13/just-say-no-to-w-sitting/

https://starfishtherapies.wordpress.com/2009/04/27/a-glossary-of-sitting/
http://www.stokespeaksout.org/grownups/Sitting […]

Pingback by 奥目になりたい | 脱毛エステ 2ch まとめ — April 25, 2018 @ 12:13 pm | Reply
22. […] http://www.laurenwelle.com/2008/06/13/just-say-no-to-w-sitting/
https://starfishtherapies.wordpress.com/2009/04/27/a-glossary-of-sitting/
http://www.stokespeaksout.org/grownups/Sitting […]

Pingback by Ｏ脚・骨盤の歪みを矯正する | 美容と健康日記 — August 7, 2018 @ 10:09 am | Reply

RSS feed for comments on this post. TrackBack URI

Leave a Reply

Enter your comment here...

https://starfishtherapies.wordpress.com/2009/04/27/a-glossary-of-sitting/ 8/10
11/1/2018 A Glossary of Sitting | Starfish Therapies

Starfish Links
About
Website
Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
Google+

Recent Posts
New Website
Favorite Toys: The Vet
Top Ten Blog Posts of 2017
What is Core Strength?
Holiday Gift Giving Guide

Top Posts
Motor Learning: Stages of Motor Learning and Strategies to Improve Acquisition of Motor Skills
A Multi-Tasking Activity
A Glossary of Sitting
My Child Isn't Rolling Over: Should I Be Concerned?
Developing Head Control with Pull to Sit
Search

Archives
Select Month

Follow Blog via Email

Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Enter your email address

Follow

Follow us on Facebook

Starfish…
3.2K likes

Like Page

https://starfishtherapies.wordpress.com/2009/04/27/a-glossary-of-sitting/ 9/10
11/1/2018 A Glossary of Sitting | Starfish Therapies

Blog at WordPress.com.

https://starfishtherapies.wordpress.com/2009/04/27/a-glossary-of-sitting/ 10/10